


In vs. Out

by MeggieJolly



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bullying, Getting Together, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Just the Thing- Meredith O'Connor, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, somewhat coming out, song fic i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24368986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeggieJolly/pseuds/MeggieJolly
Summary: Based on the lyrics and the music video from Meredith O'Connor's song "Just the Thing"Steve and Bucky don't fit in with the In-Crowd, but as long as they have each other, it doesn't matter.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	In vs. Out

**Author's Note:**

> [Mimisarah97](https://mimisarah97.tumblr.com/) contacted me on [my tumblr](https://meggie-jolly.tumblr.com/) and asked me if I would write a fic based on [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-e7QK1dT_I). It was the first time someone send me a fic request and I was very surprised and honored. So, even though I have to admit the song doesn't quite meet my music taste, I really wanted to try and fill the request.
> 
> Thank you [EachPeachPearPlum](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EachPeachPearPlum) for being my Beta for this fic!

Steve didn’t fit in with the in-crowd. So far, so obvious. He was tiny, scrawny, awkward, poor and a huge social justice warrior. In short, he was weird. None of these things made him popular with the hip, beautiful, seemingly perfect kids with the newest, most expensive stuff.

And Steve was mostly ok with that, because he had Bucky and no matter if he fit in with anyone else, he fit in with him. Bucky was a little weird too, at least to the other kids at school.

Steve thought they were stupid for thinking that; Bucky should have been the leader of the in-crowd. He was tall, incredibly good looking, athletic, unbelievably charming and just all around cool.

But, just like Steve, he was poor and had only one parent. While Steve’s father had died when he was just a little over a year old, Bucky’s father had left them shortly after his third little sister was born. That meant Bucky spent a lot of time taking care of his sisters while his ma was at work, and therefore didn’t have time for parties or to join any of the school teams. These things and the fact that he hung out with Steve somehow canceled out all his coolness.

Not that Steve minded; if Bucky would be part of the in-crowd, Steve would have no friends at all. At least, no real friends. He was in the debate club, and still hung out with the former members of the failed environmental club, but those people were fair-weather friends. No one he could actually share problems with. Just people to sit with on the bus on the way to a debate meet or to greet in the halls.

None of that mattered as long as he had Bucky. They were a team, the two of them against the world, and it worked.

When Steve got into trouble because he stood up to a bully or told someone to respect others and/or the environment, Bucky was there to have his back, and even finish his fights when they dissolved into physical violence.

That was how they met. Steve had stood up to a bully and got a black eye for his trouble. While he was trying to get a few punches in as well before the bully inevitably used him as a punching bag, a small crowd of other students had formed around them. Bucky had been the only one who had stepped in and had the bully pressed against a wall and apologizing to Steve surprisingly quickly, especially considering they had been in elementary school back then.

In retrospect, Bucky should probably have gotten a teacher instead, but either way it had been the start of their friendship, and Steve wouldn't change anything about that day even if he could.

There was only one secret that Steve kept from Bucky and it was eating at his conscience.

Steve was bisexual and while he had told his mom pretty much as soon as he figured it out himself, he couldn't tell Bucky. It wasn’t because he was worried Bucky wouldn't be accepting of his sexuality, but because Bucky was the reason Steve had figured out he was bi in the first place.

So maybe the actual secret he was keeping from his best friend was that he had a huge crush on him.

Bucky, on the other hand, was definitely straight, no doubt about it. He flirted with pretty much every girl he met; he even flirted with the teachers sometimes, in a friendly fun way, not in a creepy way. The few times Steve and Bucky had actually gone to parties, Bucky had danced with different girls pretty much the entire time he had been there, while Steve stood awkwardly in a corner, just one of the many reasons why Steve didn't like going to parties.

So even though they had never talked about their sexualities before, Steve was certain that Bucky was straight, and while he was also sure that Bucky wouldn't be offended or grossed out if he found out about Steve's crush, he wasn't interested in being rejected and making their friendship awkward because of it. So it stayed a secret, and the stomach aches that it caused Steve were nothing compared to the other things wrong with his body.

Apparently the universe or the bullies or someone didn't want him to keep his secret. Or maybe he was suddenly emitting queer vibes that he hadn't before, or the bullies had just grown tired of always making fun of him for being small, skinny, poor, or any of their other usual subjects. Because a few weeks later they started to call him all of the cliched homophobic slurs they knew. That alone would have been bad enough, but they weren't even being original or creative with them!

Steve didn't lie if he could help it, not even to bullies, so he couldn't exactly tell them they were wrong or that he was straight. So he stuck to telling them how ignorant, homophobic, and hurtful they were being.

Unsurprisingly that didn't have the desired effect, and only convinced them he was gay even more.

One day he was this close to just blurting out that he was bi, not gay, but he didn't get the chance because Bucky showed up out of nowhere and stepped in front of Steve.

"Leave Stevie alone. If you want to call someone names, maybe try someone who's actually gay, like me."

The bullies’ reactions didn't even register with Steve, he was so surprised. But somehow it helped, and soon they were in their usual corner in the hallway they often hung out in and Steve was able to ask Bucky about it all.

"Why did you tell them you’re gay? I could have handled them, you didn't have to make up things to get them off my back."

Bucky shrugged. "I didn't make anything up. I am gay."

Steve gaped at him. "...What?"

"I'm gay. I didn't expect you to have a problem with it."

"I don't, of course I don't! I'm sorry if I did anything to make you think that." Steve was completely overwhelmed by this revelation. "But... but you flirt with all the girls."

Bucky shrugged again, he looked a little uncomfortable. "Yeah, flirting is fun. Just because I flirt with them, it doesn't mean I want to _be_ with them. Flirting with girls is just easier than with guys."

Steve had no idea what to say to that. He was at a complete loss. What did that mean for his crush on Bucky? Obviously, the fact that he was gay didn't mean he was into Steve.

Should Steve tell him he liked him? Or would that make the rejection even worse?

"Steve? Are you sure you don't have a problem with it?"

Shit, he couldn't let Bucky think that.

"I'm bi.", he blurted out without any preamble. He looked at Bucky nervously, not even sure why he felt that way. Bucky couldn't know that Steve had a crush on him just because he told him he was bi.

Still, he was relieved when Bucky smiled. "I guess even a blind chicken can find a grain sometimes. Why didn't you just tell them that? It probably would have confused them."

Now it was Steve's turn to shrug and blush on top of it. "I... didn't want you to know...", he mumbled quietly enough that Bucky might not have heard it.

But he did and he looked a little hurt by Steve's admission. "What? Why?"

Steve couldn't look at his best friend, but he also wouldn't lie to him. He had gotten himself into this mess and now he had to be honest and tell Bucky the truth.

"Uhm, I..." Steve cleared his throat, looking anywhere but at Bucky. "I... I kind of discovered... that I'm, you know... bi..." -- his face was burning, and Steve thought he probably looked like an overripe tomato -- "...because, because of you." His voice got more and more quiet towards the end of his confession. He still couldn't look at Bucky.

But Bucky was being very quiet and eventually, Steve couldn't stand it anymore. He looked up and found Bucky looking flabbergasted.

"I'm so sorry! Please don't be mad!" Steve was starting to panic. "I didn't want to ruin our friendship. It's okay that you don't feel the same way. Let's just forget I said anything! I'm so so-"

He didn't get to finish another apology, because Bucky interrupted him by kissing him. It was the best answer he could have given. 

Steve didn't fit in with the in-crowd, but he liked out.

He fit with Bucky perfectly and that was all he needed.

They were both queer and a little strange and that was just the thing Steve liked about them.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the fic Mimisarah97! Thank you again for requesting this fic, I hope it met some of your expectations.
> 
> I don't mind receiving constructive criticism, there is always room for improvement.


End file.
